RF Dylan Butler, Sr., Belle Chasse, .207, 7 doubles, 8 homers, 30 RBI … Scored three runs and had two RBI in the Houston Regional and went 2-for-3 with one run scored and an RBI in title-game win over Rice.

1. TRAHAN AND BREGMAN
Two of the best-fielding college shortstops in the country – LSU’s Alex Bregman and UL’s Blake Trahan – will be going at it this weekend, and with both expected to go sometime in the first two rounds of the upcoming MLB Draft, perhaps as high as a top-five pick in Bregman’s case, and only one club advancing to the College World Series, it probably will be the last collegiate baseball for one of them.
“It will be great to watch them both go get it,” Ragin’ Cajuns coach Tony Robichaux said.

2. UL’s FRESHMEN STARTERS
UL was one of just three programs, along with Cincinnati and San Jose State, regularly starting three true freshmen on the weekend. Gunner Leger, Wyatt Marks and Evan Guillory made it through the regular season, the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and the NCAA Houston Regional with success, but a Super Regional at LSU is something entirely different. Can they handle it?
“Every next step,” Robichaux said, “is a new challenge for them, being a freshman.”

3. CAJUN BATS
The Cajuns somehow made it through the Houston Regional despite hitting just .200 a team. Small ball, and creating, had a lot to do with that. If needed at LSU, UL hitting coach Jeremy Talbot thinks the Cajuns have it in them.
“We’re not necessarily a fast team. I think we’re very average,” Talbot said. “But we’re opportunistic when we try to take a base, and we’ll move runners, we’ll hit-and-run, we’ll sac bunt. … These guys will do whatever it takes to win.”
Oh, and the Cajuns had 56 homers through Regional play. That ranks 20th nationally, and is nine more than LSU has.

4. “COACH BAB”
First-year hitting coach Talbot and first-year volunteer pitching coach assistant Daniel Freeman received plenty of praise lately from Robichaux and Cajun players. But keep an eye on UL associate head coach Anthony Babineaux, Robichaux’s longtime right-hand man, and watch how he subtly works with UL hitters after yielding his first-base coaching spot to Freeman.
“The one thing that didn’t change has been Coach Bab. He’s been a constant for us,” Robichaux said. “Him coming back in the dugout has really helped out hitters.”

5. THE CLOSER
Cajuns closer Dylan Moore, another true freshman, has gradually being coming into games earlier and earlier when needed. So look to see if Moore will enter in three- or six-out situations, or if it’s earlier than that. To him, it’s no big deal either way.
“We’ve talked about it all year. It’s the system,” said Moore, a former high school starter in Texas. “As long you stay with the system, it’s not that big of a difficulty going from one innings to three innings.”

BATON ROUGE – When it comes to talking to them on the mound, UL junior catcher Nick Thurman handles all Ragin’ Cajun pitchers differently.
Because all are quite different, especially the Cajunns’ four true freshmen, as Thurman learned during a valuable fall full of preseason practices.
“It was huge,” Thurman said, “building a relationship with them, on the field, off the field, just finding out their personalities, what they like to do, what gets them up, what gets them down.
“Some players, I can go out there and chew into them a little bit and they’ll take it fine. But others I’ll have to take a more relaxed approach to it, get them through it, because different players have different mental makeups, so it’s just finding out what works for each player.”
Thurman has plenty of material.
But for Wyatt Marks, who will start for the Cajuns tonight in Game 1 of their NCAA Super Regional at No. 1-ranked LSU, all it really takes is a one-liner that only both of them can fully appreciate.
“I don’t know if I can say it on camera,” Thurman told reporters earlier this week, “but it’s just an inside joke between me and him. … And there’s a story behind it. We just go with it whenever we go out there.”
Hearing Thurman, even if it’s only telling a joke, really does help Marks, UL’s true freshman from St. Thomas More High.
“He just says little things that … we find funny,” Marks said. “It’s kind of hard to remember them (all) because of the heat of the moment, but it does the trick, because it just kind of calms you down and lets you go back to work.”

BATON ROUGE – The question was posed to Tony Robichaux the other day: Is it about time to start not UL’s four true-freshmen pitchers freshmen any more?
After all, it’s three weekend starters (Gunner Leger, Wyatt Marks and Evan Guillory) and a closer (Dylan Moore) into a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional that opens Saturday night night against host and No. 2 national seed LSU at Alex Box Stadium here.
The longtime UL baseball coach, however, was not about to bite – not with a ticket the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, still be to be had.
“First it was Opening Day. … Then it was a three-game series challenge,” Robichaux said. “Then it was getting on a plane, fighting the travel you don’t fight in high school.
“Then the ups and the downs. Then role reversals – ‘You’re gonna to go to there, you’re gonna pitch here now, you’re gonna be moved to here now, you’re not gonna pitch right now.’
“Then getting into to the (Sun Belt) Conference Tournament was new for them, because now if you lose you go home,” Robichaux added. “All year, in a three-game series, you knew you were pitching next weekend. But when you get in the conference tournament and you lose (twice), you go home.”
The tests kept on coming.
Yet the freshmen kept passing them, with flying colors.
“Then we had to see how they were gonna react to a Regional on the road (at Houston),” Robichaux said. “Then, now, we’re gonna have to see how they react at LSU, in a Super Regional.”
Only then …
If …
Maybe …
“From there,” Robichaux said, “maybe we can stop calling them freshmen when we get to Omaha – if we’re fortunate enough to do that. But, right now, they’re still freshmen.”

TV possibilities for UL’s upcoming NCAA Baton Rouge Super Regional games vs. LSU have been narrowed.
Somewhat.
Saturday’s Super Regional opener will start at 7 p.m. (central) and will air on ESPN2.
Sunday’s Game 2 will be on ESPNU if it starts at 5 p.m. (central) or ESPN2 if it starts at 6 p.m.
Monday’s if-necessary game will be on ESPN if it starts at 7 p.m. (central) or ESPN2 if it starts at noon, 3 or 6.

By Tim Buckley
HOUSTON – The UL baseball team’s wild run through the postseason was granted another lap Monday.
The 42-21 Ragin’ Cajuns beat Rice 5-2 in the NCAA Houston Regional at Houston’s Cougar Field here, earning a ticket to a best-of-three Super Regional later this week at Baton Rouge Regional-winner LSU.
UL took a 4-0 lead over the Owls behind a three-run fifth inning that featured a two-run single by senior left fielder Evan Powell, who was named the Regional’s Most Outstanding Player.
Rice made it 4-2 with two in the bottom of the fifth and UL – holding on behind the relief pitching of closer Dylan Moore – tacked on one in the top of the eighth. Rice put runners on second and third with one in the bottom of the eighth, but Moore got two groundouts to send UL to the ninth up 5-2.
Moore struck out Ford Stainback with a man on second end it and to send UL, which was in its third consecutive Regional, to its second straight best-of-three Super Regional.
The Cajuns dropped two to Ole Miss in a Super Regional they hosted last year.
The Cajuns – winners of eight straight now – clawed through the 2015 Regional more than they cruised through, despite their 3-0 record in Regional play.
UL, the Regional’s No. 3 seed, beat Rice, the Regional’s No. 2 seed, with a 7-6 win Friday in which it scored five runs in the ninth inning.
The Cajuns went into the bottom of the ninth against No. 1 seed Houston down 1-0 on Sunday, but won 2-1 after Tyler Girouard was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the winning run.
UL then beat a Rice team that advanced to Monday’s afternoon game with a 3-2 losers-bracket win over host Houston that went 20 innings, lasted six hours and two minutes, featured 573 pitches and 155 at-bats and did not end until 2:07 a.m. Monday.
The Cajuns broke a 0-0 tie with Rice when Stefan Trosclair reached on an E5 (Rice’s third baseman field the ball cleanly, then stumbled), stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Tyler Girouard’s single up the middle in the top of the fourth.
The Cajuns stranded two, however, and went to the bottom of the inning up 1-0.
Rice got a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth, but stranded the runner at the third.
UL put up another run in the top of the fifth, when Butler singled to left, went to second on Blake Trahan’s sac bunt, went to third on Brenn Conrad’s base-hit bunt and came across on Kyle Clement’s single to right.
Conrad appeared to re-injured his hamstring running to second on Clement’s hit, and was replaced on the bases by Joe Robbins.
Rice starter Jordan Stephens exited one batter later, reliever John Williamson walked Girouard to load the bases and Powell followed with a two-out, two-RBI single to put UL up 4-0.
Rice answered in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run double to left by Grayson Lewis, cutting the Cajun lead to 4-2.
UL starter Evan Guillory exited after giving up a leadoff single in the sixth and was relieved by Will Bacon, who got a 4-6-3 double play with his first pitch to Connor Teykl.
Bacon got into trouble in the seventh, though, as Rice loaded the bases two singles and Leon Byrd’s fielder’s-choice sac bunt.
Bacon fielded the bunt, looked to third, decided not to throw to first and was relieved by Moore, who set the school record for saves earlier in the Regional against Rice.
Moore, however, struck out the first batter he faced, got a forceout on Greg Davis’ throw home, then got a flyball to centerfield to escape the jam as Rice stranded all three.
When Dylan Butler’s sac fly in the top of the eighth scored Powell, UL was up 5-2, and Moore took care of the rest in the bottom of the eighth and ninth.

HOUSTON – The Ragin’ Cajuns have an opponent.
Finally.
UL will face Rice at 1 p.m. Monday in the NCAA Houston Regional at Cougar Field here, something decided only after a 20-inning – yes, 20-inning – marathon here.
Rice beat No. 1 Regional seed Houston in a losers-bracket game that ended after 2 a.m. and remains alive with one loss in the four-team, double-elimination Regional.
Rice took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth, Houston cut it in half in the bottom of the inning and Houston’s Corey Julks tied the game at 2-2 with a monstrous solo homer to left in the bottom of the eighth.
Leon Byrd broke for the Owls with RBI double in the top of the 20th, and Rice made it through the bottom of the 20th by throwing out a runner trying to stretch a single into a double, a flyout to right and a flyout to left.
The game last six hours and two minutes, ended at 2:07 a.m., involved 573 combined pitches and had 155 plate appearances.
UL advanced to Monday’s 1 p.m. game with a 2-1 win over Houston earlier on Sunday, scoring both of its runs in the bottom of the ninth and winning after Tyler Girouard was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Joe Robbins.
If UL, which has won its first two Regional games, wins Monday’s 1 p.m. game, it wins the Regional and will the winner of the LSU-hosted Baton Rouge Regional later this week.
If UL loses the 1 p.m., the same two teams will play an if-necessary game at 6 p.m. Monday.

HOUSTON – UL coach Tony Robichaux has decided to start true-freshman lefty Gunner Leger in today’s NCAA Houston Regional winners-bracket game against host and No. 1 seed Houston.
The decision was made today.
Robichaux had been considering using true-freshman right Evan Guillory on Saturday against Houston, but that game was posted until today by bad weather.
Robichaux had been planning to save Leger (6-4, 2.95) until today prior to the postponement.
Leger, a Barbe High product, is UL’s usual Friday-night starter.
He threw the first 8.0 innings of UL’s 12-inning win over South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title game last Sunday.
Houston is scheduled to start freshman lefty Seth Romero (7-4, 2.15 ERA). He’s a usual midweek and, because of injuries, occasional weekend starter.
The loser of this afternoon’s game will play Rice in an elimination game at 8 tonight.
Rice stayed alive by beating Houston Baptist 3-1 in the resumption of a suspended game earlier today. Houston Baptist has been eliminated from the four-team, double-elimination Regional.
The winner of this afternoon’s game between UL and Houston will play at 1 p.m. Monday.

HOUSTON – Sometimes believing is all it takes.
On Friday at the University of Houston’s Cougars Field here, the UL baseball team believed.
And it had good reason to.
Just five days earlier, the Ragin’ Cajuns had the bases loaded in the 12th inning of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament against South Alabama in Troy – and Stefan Trosclair delivered a grand slam that eventually won it for UL.
This time the circumstances were different, but the essence of the matter was similar: With the bases loaded, UL needed to get it done.
The Cajuns trailed Rice 6-2 going into the top of the ninth in Game 1 of their NCAA Regional, but the rally was underway with Kyle Clement reaching on a wild pitch after a strikeout and two walks to load ’em.
Thinking back to the South Alabama, at least one Cajun – probably many more – was convinced more good things for UL was in store.
“I think the big thing is just having that momentum going in, having that confidence, knowing that … we were going to come through,” said senior designated hitter Tyler Girouard, one of those who had walked.
“Just having that (confidence), just knowing we can do it … being weathered all season … it’s paying off for us.”
So Evan Powell singled in a run, Greg Davis singled in two more, Dylan Butler walked with the bases loaded to tie the game and Blake Trahan took care of the rest with a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Jam Williams and put UL up 7-6.
Dylan Moore closed it in the bottom of the ninth for the Cajuns, who now play host Houston in a Regional winners-bracket game at 7 (central) tonight.
Rice and Houston meet in a losers-bracket elimination game at 2:30 this afternoon.
And it’s in large part because of confidence gained in the 12th against South Alabama.
Believe it.
“At the beginning of the season we wouldn’t really pull through in close games,” Girouard said, “but now we’re getting it done.”

HOUSTON – When a ball bounded toward someone in the infield during batting practice at Cougars Stadium here, someone else near the batting cage hollered, “Twenty points for hitting the clown.”
Suffice it to say members of the UL baseball team were loose as they practiced Thursday for this afternoon’s NCAA Houston Regional game against Rice.
It wasn’t hard, either.
“You’ve just got to enjoy this,” said Tyler Girouard, UL’s fifth-year senior designated hitter who has been to three straight Regionals now.
“This is the funnest part of the season, you know? It’s the postseason. I’ve been trying to tell everyone this is the funnest part, and just have fun with it. I mean, we got here for a reason. So you’ve just got to trust your ability, and have fun.”
Winning the Sun Belt Conference like the Ragin’ Cajuns did – going through the losers bracket last week, then beating No. 1 seed South Alabama on Sunday behind Stefan Trosclair’s 12th-inning grand issue – is helping everyone from UL who’s here enjoy this week to the max.
“Winning five straight in the conference tournament – that was huge,” Girouard said after Thursday’s practice. “And a big part of what we were told after we lost that first one (to Texas State, after two ninth-inning errors) was just to play loose and have the confidence we’re gonna get it done.
“You know, it’s easy to have fun when you’re winning – and I think we need to keep that, and just ride this wave.”
Third baseman Brenn Conrad sure is.
“We had a really good weekend last weekend in the conference tournament, and we have a lot of confidence coming into this game,” he said after Thursday’s practice. “So, I think that’s just carrying over from last weekend. We’re just ready to go and get started.”
After UL and Rice play at 2:30 p.m. today, Regional host Houston and Houston Baptist follow at 7 tonight.
It’s a double-elimination Regional.
“It’s absolutely fun right now,” Conrad. “We just came out there loose and relaxed. … Last week we had to win a bunch of games in a row to win it, and right now the confidence is off the roof.”